1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the data processing field and, more particularly, to a computer implemented method, system and computer program product for controlling software entitlement.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA) has estimated that thirty percent of software in use today is pirated and results in losses of 11-12 billion dollars annually to software manufacturers.
Many schemes have been developed and put into place in an effort to prevent software piracy. For example, BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) locking has recently become a popular tool for ensuring that software can be installed only on an intended and licensed hardware platform. BIOS locking schemes have many advantages over other known mechanisms for preventing software piracy, such as license keys and activation mechanisms, because they are generally easier to use and more difficult to crack. As a result, BIOS locking has become a preferred method for protecting software against piracy.
BIOS locking schemes are basically go/no go schemes in which a machine is either allowed to install or prevented from installing a particular software title, based on factors such as the manufacturer of the machine, the particular model of the machine, or the like. BIOS locking schemes, thus, do not provide very much flexibility in controlling software entitlement. A mechanism that provides more flexible control over whether or not a particular machine is entitled to receive a particular software item can be a valuable asset to software and/or hardware providers to enhance product marketing, to ensure compliance with laws and regulations of different jurisdictions, and for many other reasons.
There is, accordingly, a need for a mechanism that provides increased flexibility in controlling software entitlement.